It Can Be
by thouartasuckyperson
Summary: This is a Zutara fanfic. It's four/five years after the war, and some pretty snazzy stuff goes down.
1. Chapter 1

**Rated M for some sexual stuff and swearing. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender.**

**C**hapter 1: Unexpected Visits

Katara gazed out across the long, never-ending ocean, silently drifting past huge icebergs and, occasionally, other people. Ever since the South Pole had rebuilt its buildings and returned to its past glory, its population had jumped, and soon it was common for the cities' people to build boats of their own and fish not far from the city.

Katara, though, was not fishing. She simply needed a break from all the chaos of her life, and found peace in her element. Silently forming small waves, her boat propelled forward effortlessly. The slow rocking and quiet lapping of water calmed Katara, clearing her head and allowing her to think about everything _but _her troubles.

Almost five years ago, Katara and her friends stopped the 100 year war. She still remember it like is was yesterday; Aang, the Avatar, always smiling and excited, her brother Sokka stuffing his face, while his girlfriend, Suki, glared. Toph, Aang's Earth-bending master, picking her nose and making fun of Sokka, and Zuko, the banished prince who'd been the noblest of them all. Of course, so much had changed.

Aang was now Katara's boyfriend. It was a difficult relationship, but Katara admitted that. The Avatar was almost never around. He and Toph had formed a tight knit friendship, traveling together to perform the Avatar's duty. Mostly, they remained in the Fire Nation, helping out Zuko with nearly anything. It was difficult for the other nations to accept the Fire Nation after all the terror that it'd done, and despite Zuko and Aang's attempts to connect all three Nations together once more, there was always mistrust. Aang would send letters, telling Katara of all the things he did while away. It soon became tiring, but Katara knew Aang cared and didn't have the heart to say anything. It'd been almost two months since she'd seen her childish boyfriend.

Zuko was now the Fire Lord, almighty leader of the Fire Nation. Katara had not seen him in three years, but she still remembered his dark scar and the speeches he would give about his honour. Smiling, she remembered when he'd been chasing them. Before he'd joined their group, Zuko had been determined to catch the Avatar, and it wasn't until almost two years he'd come to his senses and joined their little gang.

Sokka and Suki were still a couple, surprisingly, (Katara didn't understand how Suki could put up with her brother's never-ending hunger) but it was obvious they loved each other very much. Suki still lived in Kyoshi Island, where she taught the Kyoshi Warriors. Sokka, remaining in the South Pole, obviously missed his girlfriend very much, but they visited each other quite a lot.

Katara sighed, flicking her wrist, the boat turning suddenly, now facing back at the city. She stared, proud at the newly-built city. Its buildings were now just as big and beautiful as those in the North Pole, with magnificent statues and populated houses. When the men had returned from the War, everything had suddenly flew back together: Katara was no longer the only Water Bender from the south pole, and she ran a Water Bending class for the young learners. As she jumped out of her small canoe she ran to her Gran-Gran's house, seeing as how Sokka was out doing who-knows-what.

"Gran-Gran?" Katara called, walking into her small hut quietly. She heard a few hurried hisses from the back room, and her grandmother came rushing out.

"Katara! I didn't think you would be visiting me." She said hurriedly, "Now isn't a good time. Maybe you should leave." Katara frowned, swatting away Gran-Gran's hands as she tried to push Katara from the hut.

"Who is back there, Gran-Gran?" She asked suspiciously. Her Gran-Gran bit her lip, her old face set in a scowl.

"Well, it was supposed to be a surprise… but, I may as well tell you." She gave Katara a huge smile, pinching her cheek lightly, "Someone's come to visit!"

"SURPRISE!" Katara gasped, running over to hug the man who walked out from the back room excitedly.

"Aang!" She cried, pulling back from the embrace to smile at him, "You said you weren't coming for another month!" The Avatar had a huge grin, planting a kiss on his girlfriend's cheek. He'd missed Katara so much over the past two months, and he'd gotten clearance from Fire Lord Zuko to take a small break from his duties.

"I just couldn't wait!" He explained. There was a humph, and Aang stepped out of the way to reveal Toph, looking grumpy, not that that was a surprise.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten me, Sugar Queen." Toph smirked.

"Oh, Toph." Katara laughed, embracing her friend, "No one could forget you." Toph grinned mischievously.

"That's 'cause I wouldn't let 'em!" They all laughed, and Katara felt relieved that they were back.

00oo00oo00oo00

Zuko sighed, laying his head on his cold desk, silently cursing everything. Paper work was now part of his daily schedule, and he felt as if each day there was more and more. Ever since becoming the Fire Lord, Zuko's life had transformed to nothing but busy, each day filled with work and meetings and decisions. It had been four years, and still the country wasn't in check. His father Ozai had left him with difficulties after difficulties, and Zuko didn't like it.

There was a knock on the door to his study, and, sighing, he called: "Enter!". One of the guards positioned outside his door stepped in, face emotionless.

"Fire Lord Zuko, you have a visitor." The guard said. Zuko frowned. It was nearly 12:00, much too late for visitors. Glaring, he wondered who would have the nerd to disrupt him so late at night.

"Well, then send them in." He sighed harshly, irritated. But all of that faded away when he saw who the surprise visitor was.

"Nephew, it has been awhile." Iroh said, the old man's eyes crinkling with a smile. Zuko stood up from his desk, embracing him. Iroh laughed, patting Zuko on the back.

"Uncle! You never told me you were coming!" Zuko exclaimed, fixing his uncle with an almost angry glance. Zuko was not exactly one for surprises, even good ones. He felt like he had no power, and that made him feel helpless. Iroh shrugged a smile still clear on his lips.

"Well, my tea shop is getting very busy, and I decided I needed a little break anyways." Iroh said, raising his eyebrow, "But I am sure you do not want to listen to me rambling on about tea. Pri- Fire Lord Zuko, tell me how you are."

"I am very busy, uncle." Zuko said, taking a seat at his chair. Iroh remained standing, despite a chair near Zuko's. "My father did not leave me with an easy task." Iroh narrowed his eyes darkly, turning to inspect his nephews study. It was small, with dark red walls and brown-nearly-black wood floor. The only pieces of furniture were the desk and two chairs, along with mounds of papers piled all around.

"My brother was not a good leader, nephew. He was selfish, not to mention cruel. I am sure this mess will take more than four years to straighten out." Zuko sighed.

"That's what I feared uncle." He gave Iroh a glad smile. "It is late. I will get a room made up for your stay… how, um, long are you staying exactly?" Zuko swallowed, hoping Iroh did not take the question the wrong way. The old man simply smiled, shrugging.

"Only time can tell." He laughed, patting his nephew on the back, "I won't stay long if it is the Fire Lords wish." Zuko shook his head.

"No matter how long you do end up staying, I will gladly enjoy the company." Zuko said sincerely. Iroh smiled, more than pleased with Zuko's reaction.

00oo00oo00oo00

Katara smiled at the people gathered around the dining room table.

She was happy to be reunited with Aang, and they talked together gladly. Toph and Sokka were joking like old times, and Katara couldn't help but smile at Master Pakku and Gran-Gran as they laughed at something Chief Hakoda had said. It was a lively dinner, with great food and even greater people.

"So, Sokka, my boy, any news from Suki?" Chief Hakoda asked his son, smiling at the way his eyes lit up when he heard his girlfriend's name.

"She said she may be visiting soon, when they rebuild the hall they practice in." He said though bites of bread, chewing with his mouth open.

"Good, good." Gran-Gran commented, her lips pressed in a thin line, "I like that Suki very much." Everyone nodded, and an uncomfortable silence engulfed the room. Katara squirmed in her seat, not exactly enjoying the way Aang placed his hand on her leg. He didn't seem to notice, but Katara was growing more and more restless the longer his hand remained there.

"This is wonderful, Gran-Gran." Aang said, smiling cheerily, "I've missed the South Pole's cooking." Katara made a face. She didn't exactly like the fact he called her grandmother Gran-Gran, either. She smiled, draining her glass of water.

"Thank you very much for the meal," She said, picking up her plate and cup, "I'm incredibly tired for some reason, so I think I'll be heading to bed." As she carried her plate outside to wash off, she heard Sokka call goodnight before a fit of laughter erupted from inside her father's igloo. Rolling her eyes, she cleaned her plate and fork, placing them on the wooden counter her father had in his "kitchen". He never really upgraded where he lived like everyone else. Chief Hakoda liked it traditional, so that's how it went.

She walked back to her hut in the darkness. When she reached it, she lit a few candles and crawled into her bed, relieved she could finally get some rest.

"Hey, Katara." She nearly jumped through the roof. Aang was standing at the foot of her bed, smiling at her kindly. For some reason, she became irritated that he'd left the meal.

"Oh… Hi, Aang." She said, yawning really loud to try to get the point across she wasn't in the mood. He obviously didn't notice it, or he ignored, because he sat down, nearly on Katara's knees as well. Grabbing her hand, he gave her a small kiss on the forehead.

"I really did miss you, Katara." He said softly. Katara looked away, feeling uncomfortable.

"I missed you to, Aang, but at the moment I really am just tired and I would really like to sleep." She explained, and the young monk, clearly rejected, stood up, turned and left with a soft, "Sorry.". Katara sighed, feeling guilty, but dismissed it, blowing out the candles on her bedside table and falling asleep after a few minutes of complete silence.

**So that's sort of an intro chapter, just to get everything clear. Tell me what you think, or what I should add, or what sucks!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey! Sorry for the sort of long wait, I was busy with school and such. Anyways, here's the new chapter. Sorry if it seems a little short.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender.**

Chapter two: On-going life

Zuko woke up gasping. His body shuddered, and he was drenched in sweat. He tried to recall his dream, but nothing came up. Groaning, he flipped out of bed. It must have been a pretty terrible nightmare to make that kind of impact.

Zuko tidied himself up, toweling off the sweat and changing into fresh clothes. He decided to ask Iroh if he'd join him for breakfast, and found he was already sitting in the dining room.

"Ah, Fire Lord Zuko, good morning! How did you sleep, nephew?" Iroh asked curiously, sipping his tea. Zuko decided against mentioning his dream in hopes of not upsetting him. Sitting down on the chair across from his uncle, Zuko waved at a servant to grab him his usual breakfast.

"It was very good, and yours?" Iroh smiled, sipping his tea.

"It was wonderful, thank you." The old man regarded his nephew carefully. He couldn't help but notice the bags under his eyes, and Iroh concluded Zuko was very stressed. "What have you planned today, nephew?"

"I have a meeting, but rather than that, nothing."

"Perhaps we can walk around the city," Iroh mused, "I almost forget what this place looks like." Zuko smiled tightly.

"It would be my pleasure."

00oo00oo00oo00

Katara watched as Aang and Toph sparred, impressed with how advanced Aang had become. They had obviously practiced throughout their travels. Even with the new skills, Katara couldn't help but note how superior Toph remained.

"C'mon, Twinkle Toes," Top complained, deflecting Aang's attacks with ease, "you aren't even aggressive!"

Aang stepped to the side, nearly getting smoked by one of Toph's boulders. Katara watched as he grit his teeth in frustration. He kept losing his footing in the snow, whereas Toph's stance was strong and secure.

"I'm _trying_, Toph! Aggressive isn't really my style!" He yelled. Katara couldn't help but sigh. No, aggressive was certainly _not _his style at all. He was all, "Give it time, everything works out." And Katara was slowly beginning to hate it. She wasn't always patient, sometimes she just wanted to do things, but Aang would hold her back.

"Well, make it your style!" Toph shouted back. She did her signature move: covering her entire body in rock, and ran at Aang. The poor monk just booked it. Katara stood, running after the fleeing Aang and chasing Toph, laughing when Aang made a sound like a dying Ostrich Horse.

"Man up, Aangie!" She giggled, earning a well-deserved glare from her boyfriend. After a few more hits and misses, Toph and Aang finally halted their battle, lying down in the snow beside Katara.

"How was I?" Aang asked hopefully, giving Katara a puppy look.

"Twinkle-Toes, even Moomoo could've beaten you." Toph snickered, earning chatter from the lemur. Katara smiled.

"You have a bit to work on." She admitted, and, upon seeing Aang's hurt glance, added, "But I was impressed with how much better you've gotten." He kissed Katara on the cheek, pleased with the compliment. Katara tensed, pulling away from the contact slightly.

_Now why did I do that?_ She wondered. It was a reflex, and she worried why that reflex would happen then. Aang didn't seem to notice, though, and he laughed and hung his arm loosely around her shoulders, talking about something to Toph. Katara didn't really listening.

With Toph and Aang back, Katara almost felt empty, which didn't make sense. She realized it was because the gang felt so close to complete, yet it never would be. Katara missed the old times. She missed riding Oppa all over the world, and fighting and water bending. Katara, if anything, missed having a purpose. It was set in stone what Katara had to do during the war: help the Avatar defeat Fire Lord Ozai. And she did, but now she felt lost. She spent her days teaching young water benders, which was great, but still, she longed for more.

"Come _on, _Sugar Queen!" Toph grumbled, breaking Katara from her thoughts, "We're heading back, whether your or not." Katara smiled, jumping to her feet and following her friends back to the city. Purpose or not, Katara could only live her life.

00oo00oo00oo00

"How long has it been since you've gone to the city square, nephew?" Iroh asked Zuko curiously. They'd gone to the city after all, at night as well, when everything was alive and festive. It was a Friday, thus the weekly Festival of Fire. Performers wandered around the heart of the city, demonstrating tricks and earning tips from passer-bys. When he was younger, Zuko remembered going with his mother and Azula, tipping almost everyone they saw graciously. Zuko's heart clenched. His mother was gone, Azula was lost. Zuko shook his head, forcing his ruined family from his thoughts.

"It's always been beautiful." Iroh sighed, watching as a performer Fire-Bent a small dragon that swirled high into the sky and blew up, sending small, fiery sparks in every direction. "That's one thing Ba Sing Se has not: festivity. Those people could learn a thing or two from us." He chuckled. He glanced at Zuko, frowning as he watched his expression turn grave. Catching Iroh look at him, Zuko gave a small smile.

"Yes, it has always been spectacular." Iroh pursed his lips, patting his stomach absent-mindedly.

"If I did not know better, I would say something is troubling you." The old man commented, watching Zuko from the corner of his eye. Zuko simply shrugged.

"It is nothing, Uncle. As I said, I am very busy." He replied coolly, turning away from his uncle so he would not see his troubled expression.

"You work too much." Iroh concluded, "Why not take a break? Go on a vacation. You haven't been to Ember Island for a while." Zuko just glared.

"Uncle, I cannot ignore my duties as Fire Lord! Can't you see I have more important things to do then swim in some dirty ocean anyway?" Zuko snapped, growling when Iroh barely blinked. The old man was used to his nephew's outburst, although he had begun to believe Zuko was getting better at controlling his quick temper.

"All work, no play isn't good, Zuko." Iroh warned, shaking his head sadly. He hated to see Zuko so stressed, but knew nothing good could from pushing about it too hard. Zuko had always had a very angry and guarded personality, rarely sharing his thoughts with even his closest friends. Iroh respected his privacy, even though he secretly wanted to shake his nephew's shoulders until he spit out what was on his mind.

Turning away, Zuko sighed. He desperately wanted to talk to his beloved uncle about Azula and his family, but Zuko did not want to burden Iroh with such thoughts. He flipped a coin in the direction of a performer, earning a flurry of fire his way. Smiling, Zuko returned to his uncle's side, sighing slightly at Iroh's suspicious look.

"Uncle, _please_. Nothing is the matter, so you don't have to give me that look." He grumbled, glaring at the now chuckling Iroh, who simply stroked his thin, wispy beard, fixating Zuko with a curious look.

"Nephew, when will you learn that I am an extremely pushy person? You will tell me, or not: either way, I shall get it out of you." Iroh said with a smile, following his nephew down the busy streets and towards the royal palace.

"Uncle, as I have said numerous times, I am just busy." When Iroh continued to give him the look, Zuko let out an annoyed growl, halting his fast stride, turning to face the plump older man. "Uncle! What must I do to stop your suspicions?" A wide grin spread across Iroh's features, forming smile lines at the edge of his eyes.

"Well, there is something…"

00oo00oo00oo00

"Katara!" Sokka screamed, scaring the living out of her. She sighed, turning to face her older brother. She'd been in the middle of water-bending, and being interrupted always made her slightly grumpy.

"What is it?" she snapped, bending a small stream of water around her body absent-mindedly. Her grumpiness turned into curiosity when she saw Sokka, though. He was ecstatic, barely able to stand still. Hi hands tapped the side of his legs hurriedly, his eyes darting around hysterically.

"It's Suki! She's coming! Here! To the South Pole! Can you believe it? _She's_ coming to visit _me_! This is so exciting." He basically screamed, squeezing her arm before lifting his hand up for a high five.

"Sokka! That's wonderful!" Katara laughed, high-fiving her eager brother, "When is she going to be here?" Sokka shrugged, already turning to run away.

"About a week! I have other people to tell, so see you later!" He called back, sprinting away from Katara. All he could think about was Suki, and her smile, and her laugh, and the way she scrunched her nose when she was mad. Everything about her, Sokka loved. He loved the way she looked in her Kyoshi warrior outfit, and he certainly loved the way she looked without it.

Sokka blushed, waving away the dirty thoughts. With a sly grin, he mumbled under his breath.

"There'll be time for that later."

**Yah, so sorry if that seemed slow as well. I'm sort of curious if that was okay with Sokka by the end (the sort of sexual stuff). I wasn't sure if it was appropriate for his character. Anyways, tell me what you thought, and if you have anything to input about the story. Thanks!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender**

**Chapter 3: Offers **

Katara didn't know how to feel about the whole situation.

They (they being her, Aang, Sokka, Toph, and Suki) had gotten a letter from non-other than Fire Lord Zuko, inviting them to the Fire Nation for what he said as, "a vacation". They'd stay there for a month or so, all of them, even in the royal palace itself. Sokka was overjoyed. Even the slightest idea of traveling made him ecstatic. He was all about going on another adventure, as was Toph, Aang, and Suki. Katara, on the other hand, wasn't sure. She wasn't comfortable with leaving the North Pole, or going to the Fire Nation. She knew that, even with the war over, the Fire Nation hated the Water Tribes, and the Earth Kingdom, and the Avatar.

Of course, it didn't matter what she thought.

Before she even knew it, she was standing on a large ship, staring sadly as the South Pole slowly shrunk away from her sight.

00oo00oo00oo00

Zuko was already having second thoughts.

Of course, he'd agreed to his uncle's request of inviting over his old friends ti the Fire Nation, it wasn't even a question. Zuko missed everyone one. He ached to talk to a good friend like Sokka about, well, man stuff, like his duties as Fire Lord and if this sword was better than that one. He had tried many times to talk to Aang of such things, but it was awful. Aang had no idea about swords, or responsibility. Zuko continued, even after everything the monk had done, to picture Aang as a boy, like a younger sibling that had no knowledge of anything.

Uncle Iroh had sent the letter just over a week ago, and Zuko had been alerted that his friends had boarded a ship to the Fire Nation, arriving in a few days.

Zuko was ripped from his thoughts as he walked straight into a lady. He whipped out his arms to balance her, as she rocked backwards from the impact, murmuring a quiet sorry.

"Zuko?" His head snapped up, shocked by the voice that had said his name and the face he was staring at.

"Mai?" He said, astonished. Mai's mouth twitched into a brief smile before returning into the placid features she was all so known for. Taking a step back, she bowed deeply to Zuko, eyes bored.

"It's a pleasure to see you, Zuko." She said coolly. Zuko nodded, oblivious to the people staring their way.

"As it is to see you. How was your journey?" He asked. Mai had left two years ago to a small Fire Nation town on the edge of the coast, to teach her strange but very useful skill of throwing dart like weapons from a contraption attached to her wrist. Zuko had barely heard of her since, and had thought she wouldn't be returning to the Fire Nation in a long time.

Mai's eyes flitted momentarily across the busy square, before returning to Zuko's face.

"I would love to tell you, but maybe in a more secluded area." She said, only the slightest hint of hope tinting her rather placid voice. Zuko nodded, gesturing her to follow him as he walked back towards the palace.

Zuko tried to ignore the amused glances his guards gave him and Mai as they walked down the hall and towards his study. It had been a long time since he had been in the company of a female, and a pretty one at that. Han, one of Zuko's most trusted guards, couldn't help but wink slyly, earning a glare from the Fire Lord and a very loud door slam.

"Lady Mai, tell me of your time down in Ghin'Lee." Zuko asked, sitting down, gesturing for Mai to do the same. She sat down slowly, her posture sharp.

"It was very boring," Mai began, sighing slightly before continuing, "and cold. Essentially, I trained a bunch of over eager girls to throw metal around. It really wasn't all that interesting." She finished, a yawn soon following. Zuko couldn't help but frown.

"Surely _something_ interesting happened the two years you were there." He huffed, narrowing his eyes at Mai. She shrugged.

"Not really. I didn't have anyone to talk to or anything. I was dying to come back."

"I see." Zuko replied tightly. A brief but nonetheless awkward silence followed, in which he stared at everything but Mai. He was trying to suppress all of the feelings that kept bubbling up: sadness, anger, frustration, happiness, hope, but even his best efforts could not stop them. All of those emotions were caused by Mai. The only thing he could think about was the night before she left…

"Zuko," Mai said softly, so softly it surprised Zuko. He glanced up, seeing the moment of pain flash across her face. He gulped nervously, hoping it didn't show.

"Yes?"

Mai shifted slightly, a momentary break in her perfect posture, "I never wanted to leave."

"I know." Zuko replied, looking away from her intense gaze.

"I never wanted to leave, but I did anyhow." She repeated, reaching out and placing a cold, pale hand on Zuko's leg, "You said no, two years ago." He tensed, feeling her touch. Yes, he had said no, but he had also meant it.

"I did." Mai seemed to lean closer to him, her hand moving slightly farther up his leg.

"I was hopeful that perhaps you have changed your answer." Mai said quietly, her hand now closer then it should've been to a certain somewhere.

Zuko would be lying if he said he had not thought of Mai in the time she was gone. Deciding that dating was something that could and would get in the way of him being the Fire Lord, he rejected Mai, and broke it off yet another time. He'd sent her off to teach her skill, hoping that maybe she would forget of him, and he would forget of her. It was selfish, and unfair, but they'd both known that.

The night before she was to leave, Mai had begged Zuko to take her back. He'd never seen Mai so vulnerable. Normally, she kept her cool, even in times of intense struggle. But it was like that one night she snapped and let it all out. And, in that moment, Zuko had harshly told her goodbye, leaving her standing at alone in the night.

Moving her hand off his leg, Zuko stood up, a stern expression plastered on his face.

"Mai, my answer has not changed. I do not mean any offense to you, but I am not looking to have a relationship at this moment." Mai clenched her jaw, narrowing her eyes.

"I understand, Fire Lord Zuko." She answered emotionlessly, standing and bowing deeply to Zuko. "I thank you for your time, my lord." Zuko watched as Mai walked past him and out of the study, thoughts of regret clouding his mind.

00oo00oo00oo00

**Hi guys! Sorry for the long wait, I sort of just stopped. Everything's so jumbled at the moment, and I feel this story is getting weak. I'm trying to have a strong plot and such, character development and all that jazz, but I'm finding it difficult to get going. Hopefully, I get the flow back and this story doesn't seem as choppy. Anyways, tell me what you like, dislike, and overall what you think of the story in some reviews! **


End file.
